I love quick, cheap, effective ways to store the plethora of "stuff" in our classrooms and help keep organized amongst the mess that daily classroom life brings. Below is a sneak peek of my post this week on the Scholastic Top Teaching Blog!

It's no secret that I LOVE a good brain break during the school day! For YEARS I searched and scrounged for various types of movement breaks, from yoga to hip hop dance. Then.....along came my movement miracle: GoNoodle. I had the super cool opportunity to join some Super Noodlers at a conference in Chicago, and it was a blast movin', shakin', and spreading the word about GoNoodle and the importance of brain breaks in the classroom.

Today was our first day, and I believe in the FUN and importance of a little booty-shakin', yoga, and mediation that we enjoyed a little GoNoodle after lunch! Nothing kicks off the first day of 4th grade like KooKoo Kangaroo!

1. Why are brain breaksso important for today’s kids? We ALL need brain breaks through movement.....I know I sure do. Kids need the opportunity to calm and/or energize their bodies. They need to bust out of their seats, and need the chance to have FUN. Ever wish your kiddos came with RESET buttons? GoNoodle is that reset button! Try it today!2. If you were stranded on an elementary classroom island and could only bring 3 brain breaks, what would they be?My students' all-time faves include 1) anything by KooKoo Kangaroo 2) US Track & Field Events 3) NEW Maximo yoga-inspired routines.

3. GoNoodle can be a great motivator! Share a tactic or idea for using brain breaks to engage the classroom.GoNoodle is a great positive behavior motivator & reward. Students FREAK over the opportunity to choose the Noodle-y activity of the day, or to get to eat lunch with the teacher and a friend and do GoNoodle instead of recess. SUPER COOL!

As teachers, WE are always the ones planning, coordinating, running, and cleaning up at school events. Being a first-time mom, it's always so exciting {and SUPER surreal} for ME to be the parent volunteer at Grayson's school. I-LOVE-IT!! I find it's always great to have multiple perspectives, and now being able to speak with and relate to my students' parents as BOTH a parent and a teacher is unbelievably life-changing and valuable!

I've enjoyed volunteering at Gray's Mother's Day tea, Little Chef's exploration day (where I created chef-themed centers & volunteered in his room), and this week at his end-of-summer carnival. They were all incredibly fun experiences and I LOVE interacting with the ADORABLE kiddos in his class. More importantly, it forms a great bond between Grayson, his fabulous teachers, and myself.

QUESTION: Are you ever able to serve as the PARENT VOLUNTEER instead of always playing the role of the teacher? If so, what have been YOUR favorite parent volunteer events? Class parties? Field trips? Story time? PLEASE SHARE!

// Pump Up the Jams //

It's back to school time again, and between summer ending, classroom setup, meetings, planning, and buying WAAAAAY to much in craft stores, Wal-mart, and TPT for my new school year I need a rockin' play list to "get in the groove" of back to school. I'm linking up with 2nd Grade Sugar & Spice to share my B2S playlist for Wordless Wednesday! Lollapalooza just ended in Chicago, so right now, I'm jamming to a mix of songs from past and present Lolla bands that I love.

// What's on YOUR B2S Playlist?? //

I'm linking up with Farley over at Oh Boy, 4th Grade for the August edition of "Currently" {my first ever!}. Yes, you heard me correcty...the AUGUST "Currently." I know as teachers we get a little time-warped, and I'm no exception! My jaw dropped when I realized it was August first. Where has the time gone? {Blog post coming soon detailing EXACTLY where our time has gone, as I reflect on our amazing summer.} For now, I'm going to savor every last remaining day and soak up the final days/weeks of summer...right after I give you the run-through on my "Currently!"

LISTENING: My son, Grayson, loves stories and we recently introduced him to the Netflix cache of Clifford episodes. Being a Scholastic blogger I have brought back stuffed Cliffords on multiple occasions, so he's a house favorite. Gray LOVES the little episodes, as they are recounts of stories we've read together. Today, he burst our chuckling, followed by muttering something to himself during one of the episodes. #priceless

LOVING: Saturdays in the summertime mean swimming lessons, followed by family brunch. Today, we were lucky enough for Gray's grandma to come watch him swim & join us for brunch. It's fantastic to see grandparents swooning over their little ones and enjoying every moment with them. We're so lucky that our already special Saturday was made even better with "Grams" there!

THINKING: Once August hits, I know I have to shift into school prep mode. This, coupled with upcoming blog post ideas & new product designs means my to-do list is longer than Santa's naughty/nice roster!

WANTING: Have you ever tasted a Culver's Oreo concrete mixer {with copious amounts of fluffy whipped cream, of course!}?? If you haven't, get over to the nearest Culver's & order the largest size they have immediately. I'm craving that sweet treat for some reason....and a few extra hours in the day {per my growing to-do list above}.

NEEDING: I have a special Chicago blogger brunch tomorrow and want to bring printed stationery goodies, but my computer & printer seem to be thwarting my efforts. #iwillfiguresomethingout In an effort not to waste any precious time, I'll shift over to finishing new digital designs!

FIRST DAY: I still have some time, but I'd better put the "pedal to the metal" for back-to-school prep, starting this week. I'm meeting up with my #teachingtwin, Jenna, to plan for our after school STEM club on Monday, and my team meets on Wednesday {super excited for both} to start planning curriculum. August 20th will be here before I know it!